Re: a poem----proofread or correct

Originally Posted by gernt

We need at least one rhyming couplet

With midnight comes the tide
And upon the vision of his woman,
Leander burns with the flame of love
I would rather cross the harbor of my wine vat
Where the red and white wine flow
And let the people merry grow

Re: a poem----proofread or correct

I stayed with a lovely woman in her sixties in Morelia, Mexico for a while and she would say "híjole" quite often. When I returned to California my students, many also from the state of Michoacán, quickly told me that it was inappropriate for me to say that. A teacher in Oaxaca taught us to say something like "Tchisss" which I haven't heard anywhere else, but is quite expressive even if you haven't heard it before, and I don't think there is any hidden meaning that could be offensive (but I've never heard anyone else say it and I think it expresses a slightly different emotion). Given the multiple versions of Spanish and the differing opinions regarding what is or isn't offensive, I think that as a non-native speaker it's challenging to get a feel for what's ok, and when.

But the other thing is that the different options express slightly different emotions. There might not be one all-purpose safe expression.

Honestly, having just gotten back into the green boxes, I'm afraid to even explore this topic---don't want to offend anyone.

Re: a poem----proofread or correct

The poem is a tongue-in-cheek celebration of drinking. So the spirit of the translation has to preserve its ironic spirit. Making a poem rhyme in two languages is difficult, but if the new rhyme takes a little liberty with the text while preserving the banter, it's all for the good.

Re: a poem----proofread or correct

mariaklec, I was listening to a Spanish language station near Chattanooga, and the DJ was saying "hijoles" (I guess there's more than one) every few minutes. So it can't be too bad.

And ed, when you look up translations of that particular poem, you find some that take such liberties, they don't seem to be the same poem. But there is an obvious diversity of ways to translate it. Now you want to try something hard, I would love to hear a translation of Rodriguez's "Locuras" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbsjQ...driguez&um=1&i such that it could be sung. There is apparently not one on the internet. It is just about my favorite song. Unfortunately, I have no musical ability.

Re: a poem----proofread or correct

Well, yes. I noted that "There is madness" and "And madnesses" have the same rhythm of "Hay locuras", and I worked out a few lines, but when I get to a part that cannot be translated literally, soy el cuerdo de